is it a toktik or is it a business ad? @chocobo

[mesospheric]

[ It begins with… a blink. Some guy with gravity-defying blond hair looks around, as if surveying the area for passer-by before he engages in what must surely be an embarrassing affair, like the filming of a TokTik. ]

This isn’t necessary, but—

Do you… need things done?

[ He sort of starts off strong before trailing off in classic Embarrassed Delinquent-esque reluctance. His eyes, locked ahead. His expression, stony. ]

For a fee, certain troublesome tasks can be done for you to satisfying completion. This includes but is not limited to: monster slaying, bodyguard duty, and… errands.

The fee will fluctuate depending on what a hassle I find it to be.

[ Another blink. Another look around. Something surely comes next, right? Damn. Is Cloud his own PR department? ]

… I look forward to working with you.

[ And just like that, the feed ends. ]

MERC WORK
contact Cloud Strife for more info

Comments

@litanytime

[mace_pray_love]

Great job Cloud! I'll hire you again next time I need something done.

[Although she probably still owes him from the last time he helped her out.]

[mesospheric]

As long as your pockets are deep enough, I’ll be there to do it.

[ or so he says, but he hasn’t asked anything for that time in Mexico, and his last pay from her was a carnival prize still holding down his shelf at base. ]

[mace_pray_love]

great! and if you get a job going somewhere dangerous and want help, let me know.

[Although she may have been snooping a little and found a different idea of how to pay him back.]

[mesospheric]

I can handle it by myself. There’s no need to endanger yourself.

[ but in the back of his mind, he can almost hear an admonishing voice, so he reins himself in a little. Just a little. ]

… but thanks for that anyway.

[mace_pray_love]

[Great, he thinks she'd be a burden, doesn't he? Well, she can't really blame him.]

no problem. good luck with everything.

[mesospheric]

[ He just has an overwhelming Thing against healer-types getting hurt under his watch.

but

he is finding himself Weak to this for reasons he cannot quite pinpoint. ]

If there's something I need your litanies for



I'll call you

promise.

[mace_pray_love]

good. i'd be really mad if you didn't!

[shadowban]

what did he do?

[mace_pray_love]

he won me a prize i needed at the festival

and he helped me out with an angry patient in mexico city.

[shadowban]

you paid him to do your work?

how much did it cost.

[mace_pray_love]

[It only cost her the price of a few festival games, but she realizes she probably shouldn't say that on Cloud's advertisement where he's trying to earn actual money.]

that's basically asking me how much of a hassle i am. really wanna keep asking?

cloud's really reliable, that's the important thing to know. if you hire him, he won't let you down.

[shadowban]

isn't that actually good for promotion? if he can handle someone who's such a hassle then he can definitely handle reasonable clients. most people think they're reasonable.

you were really bad at games?

[mace_pray_love]

i'm not a hassle at all! i'm a delight to work with!!

i'm not bad at games, i just didn't want to waste a bunch of money trying to get the prize i wanted if he could do it faster. i was being responsible!

[shadowban]

you're the one who brought it up. just answer the question, then.

also that just sounds like you were cheating.

[ says megumi, who can beat even itadori yuji in arcade games and doesn't lose at crane games. oops. ]

Private

[mace_pray_love]

i just paid for the games he played to win us both prizes. and it wasn’t cheating because i needed the prize for the shrine, not for myself.

i was trying to keep it under wraps because cloud is too nice. if the other outsiders find out how easy he is to push around, he’s never going to get any paying work.

so if you’re hiring him to stalk your dad or whatever, you’ve gotta give him some money for it!

private onwards;

[shadowban]

i was going to pay him fairly, you don't have to threaten me about it. i'm asking him to do something dangerous for my sake. that deserves proper compensation.

...his name truly is cloud?

[mace_pray_love]

that wasn't a threat. it was me telling you what to do.

yes, i think so. why? it's a pretty name.

[shadowban]

it is, i just thought it was a codename or alias.

[ megumi you can't say shit your name is megumi. ]

don't tell me what to do. i was going to do it anyway.

[mace_pray_love]

I guess it could be short for something. 'cloudward'? 'cloudthew'? 'cloudbert'? nah, none of those sound right.

and if we're both in agreement about paying him, why's it matter if i said so?

[shadowban]

i don't like it when people tell me what to do. it makes me not want to do it.

cloudus? cloudine? maybe he's named something a little more arcane.

[mesospheric]

You know you can just ask me, right?

[shadowban]

it's a service review. if i just asked you it would a little biased.

[mesospheric]

... Yeah, that's probably true. Objective lines of questioning are hard to get. Good job.

[shadowban]

thank you...?

[ why is he feeling some kind of warmth in his heart? ]

has anyone else hired you?

[mesospheric]

A few. I get a few hits out in the city now and again for more errand oriented jobs.

[ So many vegetables picked. So many boxes hauled. ]